India's Golden Triangle

5-Star Indian rail tour

The kaleidoscopic sights of this colourful country take your
breath away. Our Indian rail tour takes in the Red and Amber Forts,
historic temples, beautiful palaces and ornate gardens, as we visit
Delhi, the 'Pink City' of Jaipur and Agra with its white marble
icon, the Taj Mahal.

India's Golden Triangle 2018Tour Details

Delhi

Meet your group and Tour Manager at the 5-Star Taj Palace hotel
in New Delhi. Delhi is one of India's most colourful and exciting
metropolises, where the old and new cities exist harmoniously
together.

By train to Shimla

We leave Delhi on the Shatabdi Express to Kalka. Here we board
the UNESCO-listed narrow-gauge Shivalik Express, which is also
affectionately referred to as the 'Toy Train'. Covering a journey
of 96km, the train gradually passes through the Shivalik foothills
of the Himalayas, passing over 864 bridges and through 102 tunnels
on its journey to Shimla. The train moves at a leisurely pace,
giving us time to soak in the incredible panorama of the
surrounding scenery. Alternatively, you may choose to make the
journey by car.

Shimla was 'discovered' by the British in 1817, and was later
used as a fashionable retreat from the summer heat thanks to it's
lovely temperate climate. In 1684, the Government of India declared
Shimla as their official headquarters during the hot season.
Because of this, many of the town's buildings are very British in
style. We spend three nights at the heritage 5-Star Oberoi Cecil
Hotel.

Shimla

We begin our exploration of Shimla with a sightseeing tour, of
the town's colonial heritage. We begin at the Viceregal Lodge, the
summer seat of the viceroys until the 1940s.

This afternoon, a leisurely stroll takes us past the town's
Gaiety Theatre, the Victorian-Gothic Christ Church and Scandal
Point, named thus due to it being a popular social meeting place
where people would gather and share gossip.

On Day 4 you are free to explore at
leisure. This provides you with a great opportunity to travel
further into the Himalayas for majestic views towards the higher,
snowcapped mountain peaks of the world's tallest mountain range.
Alternatively you could explore more of Shimla, visiting Wildflower
Hall, a former residence of Lord Kitchener. Now a hotel, this
beautiful building sits amidst a verdant forest with incredible
views of the surrounding peaks of the Himalayas

Exploring Old and New Delhi

We depart Shimla and return back to Delhi, for two more nights.
On Day 6 we visit Old Delhi, taking a
rickshaw ride through the narrow streets of Delhi's bazaar for an
incredible insight into the lives of the millions of people who
live in the city. As you travel towards Chandi Chowk, you will be
immersed in real India - we visit the Jama Masjid - India's largest
mosque, Raj Ghat, a simple but moving memorial to Gandhi, 'the
father of the Nation', and pass Delhi's Red Fort.

Later we embark on a sightseeing tour exploring the wide, leafy
avenues and impressive colonial architecture of New Delhi. Our tour
includes India Gate war memorial, the grandiose Rashtrapati Bhavan,
Humayun's Tomb and Qutab Minar, India's tallest stone tower, built
in 1199.

The Taj Mahal and Agra Fort

We join the southbound Gatimaan Express early this morning to
Agra. On arrival we visit Agra's imposing Red Fort, originating
from the 15th century and considered India's most important
fortification. Built on a hill above Agra, its centrepiece is a
tower with a marble balcony where Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan spent
his last days imprisoned.

Later we travel across the city to the Taj Mahal, one of the
Seven Wonders of the World, to visit this marvellous sight. Built
by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1653 in memory of his favourite
wife Mumtaz Mahal, this iconic white marble building is a true
monument to undying love, and is the world's finest example of
Mughal and Persian architecture.

Fatehpur Sikri

We depart Agra by coach, stopping at Fatehpur Sikri, a perfectly
preserved ancient red sandstone city built in the 16th century as
India's political capital, but abandoned after only 14 years due to
lack of water. Remarkably, the city remains exactly as it was 400
years ago, giving us an excellent insight into how life was during
the time of the Mughal Empire. After a guided tour of the empty,
ghostly buildings, we continue to Jaipur, for three nights at the
5-Star ITC Hotel Rajputana.

Jaipur and the Amber Fort

We begin our stay in the 'Pink City' with an exciting
sightseeing tour that includes the grand and ornately decorated
City Palace, home to the current Maharajah of Jaipur, as well as
the unique early 18th century and UNESCO listed Astronomical
Observatory and the sights, sounds and smells of colourful Jaipur
market.

On Day 10 we travel past the beautiful Jal
Mahal water palace, located in the middle of a lake, before heading
to the outskirts of Jaipur to visit the Amber Fort. Located high on
a hillside, to reach the fort we travel by Jeep. We have the chance
to explore some of the ornate rooms within the palace complex
before we continue our tour, driving past the Palace of the Winds,
a facade built in 1799 so the ladies of the Royal Household could
look over the streets below without being seen.

Return to Delhi and home

Raaja Bhasin

Selected departures feature a guest speaker on Day 4 at Oberoi
Cecil Shimla. We enjoy a talk from Raaja Bhasin for a detailed
insight into the town through its people, history and culture.
Raaja Bhasin is an acclaimed writer and researcher; most recently
he served as history consultant on the Channel 4 series 'Indian
Summers'. Born in Shimla, he was written two books on the former
British retreat.

Recommended Airport Arrival

For this tour, we recommend you arrive into Delhi Indira Ghandi
Airport (airport code DEL), which is approximately 6 miles from
your first hotel. Our recommended departure airport is Delhi
Indira Ghandi Airport (airport code DEL), which is approximately 6
miles from the from your final base in Delhi.

Visa Requirements

It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport,
visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your
itinerary. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot
travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with
any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.
You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses
which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any
passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.

Departure Times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be
found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices
& Availability' button. We write to all booked customers
approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise
the exact departure and return time for their particular group.

Visits to iconic monuments, including the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur
Sikri and the Amber Fort

Specialist guest speaker

Not Included

Flights and airport transfers

What our customers think

95%

of travellers would recommend this tour

Tour Rating

based on 76 verified reviews

Mr C Sheeley

We got to see everything we hoped to see and some. We also to an extension to south Goa, which was a wonderful start to the tour.
Our tour manager Christine Perry was excellent. Raj - our local guide was remarkable. Raj became ill along the way but did ne hell of good job under those circumstances.

Very well organised trip - extremely interesting.

Mr R Extance

excellent attention to detail and all luggage handling taken care of.
faultless organisation and excellent itinery.

Mrs J Marshall-Ward

Group sociable, hotels good, Kam the guide excellent. It is a misnomer to call the tour great rail journeys when mostly we were in taxis and coach. That we were deprived of the rail journeys was a mercy as I have travelled in more commodious cattletrucks.

Miss J Spilman

Lovely trip overall but the many changes of itinerary were disappointing, particularly the cancelled Toy Train journey which was the ONLY reason I booked with this company. Prior to booking I had looked at several other cheaper Indian Triangle trips with travel companies I had travelled with previously and who have an equally good reputation in the industry.

Mrs J Davies

The arrangements made by GRJ were all excellent. The smoothness of transfers, the hotels and the flexibility of the Tour Manager (Angela Joseph) in reacting to the unexpected were all absolutely first class. We particularly enjoyed the knowledge, sense of humour and unfailing courtesy of the Tour Guide, Cam. Sadly, unfortunately, India fell short of our expectations. We could not see passed the squalor, pollution and awful traffic! No fault at all of GRJ but we will not be going back to India any time soon.

We were looked after from beginning to end, nothing was too much trouble, and working out costs when we got home excellent value for money. I travel independently quite a lot and I could not have matched costs, besides it was nice to be in a small friendly group.

Mrs L Parker

Very good tour, poor start with not being able to sit together on flight and very little help from your staff in the UK to sort out for us, not happy with the local guide who took us to shops with very quick and poor demonstration and then a long time on the hard sale, it would have been much better if we had been able to return to the hotel and had some time to chill out on what was a busy tour, as same guide arranged for a 'money man' come to the hotel first day to change our money up, towards end of trip asked if we would get it changed back, he said man would come back, this did not happen and therefore we had Rupies and no receipt to use to change it back, lucky others in our group was able to change it up using their receipt, not happy with this at all.
The coach driver we had was amazing and found very safe all the time.

Smooth organisation all the way!! Hotels were good and your manger was excellent. Local guides in the main were okay. Sita was excellent!!